Global Fund Media Guide to relocation 2011

By Simon Gray – A perfect storm of factors over the past four years has upended many of the traditional assumptions of asset managers, particularly those active in the alternative investment field, about how their business should be organised. The relative merits of different fund domiciles is a long-standing area of debate, but the past couple of years have seen management firms increasingly raise questions about where they should themselves be based. »

By Peter Niven – No matter whether fund managers are considering relocating personally and/or corporately, there are few better options than Guernsey. The island’s coastline of cliffs, beaches and harbour ports combines with its French influence to provide a relaxed lifestyle in a temperate climate, in an environment where there is also a thriving international finance centre, including a leading investment fund industry. »

By Simon Gray – At a time when an uncertain economic environment and financial climate is forcing existing investment fund managers to rethink their tried and tested models, and newcomers to the industry are struggling to gain traction amid rising regulatory constraints and costs as well as greater investor reticence, the emergence of the Mediterranean island nation of Malta as a player within Europe’s established fund centres is providing the industry with an attractive alternative at a vital time. »

By Simon Gray – Never has there been so much discussion in the industry about the redomiciliation of funds from offshore to onshore financial centres, especially within the European Union, in order to meet the preferences of institutional investors cagy about jurisdictions and structures perceived to be scantily regulated, to widen their potential investor base, to position them for the impact of future regulation, or a combination of the three. »

By Simon Gray – For nearly a decade Jersey has been focusing its strategy for developing the financial services industry on fund domiciliation and servicing for alternative investments including property funds, private equity structures and hedge fund platforms. However, the island’s concentration of fund expertise, structuring capability and robust but flexible regulation is also increasingly attracting managers interested in relocating all or part of their business, and often themselves. »

By Michael Sanders – When Alceda Fund Management was established in 2007, Luxembourg was already a well-recognised fund domicile, so the choice was relatively straightforward. Now, with more than 3,800 investment funds and net assets of nearly EUR2.1bn, Luxembourg is Europe’s largest centre for investment funds and the second biggest fund domicile in the world, after the US, in terms of assets under management. »